Disparate Youth
by Nautical Paramour
Summary: Hermione needs to get away from all of the romance after the war. When Neville suggests that she join him for a herbology trip to Fiji, she says yes without thinking twice. Post war. EWE. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Here is the first chapter of my new Neville x Hermione. It's only got nine chapters, each between 2k-3k words. It's just meant to be a fun romance, after writing such a heavy story like Sleeper. We should have an update about once a week. You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I frequently post sneak peaks and the like.

Please let me know what you thought of chapter one, and be on the lookout for chapter two soon!

* * *

In the months that had followed the war, there had been an explosion of romance and dating and sex and weddings and just general nonsense. Everyone in the wizarding world had been faced with their own mortality, many of them losing friends and family in the fighting, and they'd decided to grab life with both hands and clearly that meant hopping into bed with the first person that looked at you.

It was driving Hermione bonkers!

Her own friends were the worst. Harry and Ginny had slipped off the Grimmauld Place, shutting down the floo and putting up anti-apparition wards for a week, until they came out firmly dating and obviously over the top in love. No one seemed to mind that Hermione had left all of her stuff there and had no way to get any access to it, and instead had to live out of that blasted tent for an extra week!

It hadn't taken long for the _star-crossed lovers_ to be engaged and now every wizarding magazine and newspaper was following with bated breath to learn every little detail - what color were the bridesmaid's earrings going to be? Who is providing the flowers? Would Harry have to _fight_ any of the Weasley brothers in order to win their sister's hand? - of the upcoming nuptials.

Hermione wouldn't even go shopping with Ginny any more because of the all of the photographers that followed them around. Of course, Ginny just loved the attention, but Hermione insisted she have her own gown fitting for the hideous red bridesmaid's dress that Ginny had selected done in the privacy of her own flat.

Ron was just as bad as Harry though. He had kissed Hermione in the Chamber of Secrets in what had to be the most lacklustre kiss she'd ever received, during the Battle of Hogwarts, but it had taken him literally two hours to dump her and get back together with Lavender Brown. Not that Hermione wanted to date him, but...well, it would have been nice for him to clear the air first.

Lavender had been attacked by Fenrir Greyback during the battle, receiving a set of claw marks across her face. Hermione had felt sorry for the girl, that she would have to carry the scars for the rest of her life, when Hermione had her own set of awful scars. It had quickly dissipated when Lavender constantly told her she should only wear high necked shirts with long sleeves to hide the evidence of what she'd survived at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange and Antonin Dolohov.

Witch Weekly had even run a story about the brave heroine, and how she was dealing with her disfigurement - _I wear my scars proudly as a reminder of what I've survived -_ which just made Hermione more mad. She knew that she was a little bit jealous, but why were her scars considered ugly and Lavender's just something she could wear proudly?

Ron would constantly invite Hermione for lunches, just the two of them, he'd say, only to have Lavender swoop in and join them. She would dominate the conversation, essentially ignoring Hermione, and sometimes she would even pull Ron into a passionate snog. Usually, Hermione would just get up and leave at that point.

Ron would accuse her of being jealous of Lavender, which was purposerious. She was glad that she and Ron had _finally_ kissed, because it proved to her that they were not compatible in any way. She couldn't imagine an instance in which she would enjoy being intimate with Ron.

It wasn't just England that was overcome with love and romance. She'd recently gone to Viktor's wedding to some pretty Bulgarian girl, but she'd definitely been the odd one out not bringing a date. While she watched the dance floor, yes a bit wistfully!, Viktor had approached her and asked her why she didn't bring a plus one? Why hadn't Hermione Granger settled down like the rest of them?

She'd left not long after that.

And, it wasn't like there weren't opportunities for her to date someone. She'd been asked out by all sorts of wizards - she was a heroine after all - both those she knew and some she didn't. Hermione had rejected them all after her first disastrous date with Terry Boot.

She'd thought she might have a lot in common with the Ravenclaw, but it turned out that he just wanted in on some of the fame of being associated with her, to her absolute disgust. That or for her to put out on the first date! It had ended when she threw the fruity cocktail he bought for her in his face.

The magazines wanted her to neatly pair up with someone, but because she wouldn't they speculated that there must be something wrong with her. She must be pining after Ron or Harry or both. She was trying to steal the wizards away from their perfect girlfriends. Every wizard that she even looked at was her secret lover.

Hermione Granger hated romance! She couldn't wait...no, she needed everything to calm down in the wizarding world before she could even think about dating someone again. Maybe she should take a grand tour of the world for a year or two or five and then see what had happened. Merlin, she was only nineteen! She wasn't ready to get married yet.

But, she knew that her friends would never forgive her if she missed Harry and Ginny's wedding, and so she was stuck here, until at least June. She would be the reliable Hermione, counted on to help plan their wedding because she was just so organized and she would never overlook a single detail!

No one seemed to worry that she had her own job, in the Magical Law Department of the Ministry of Magic, which took up enough time. Sometimes when she got home, she just wanted to take a bubble bath and read a book on the most dull boring topic possible, not decide exactly which floral centerpiece would be best for the theme.

She didn't want to read through archaic binding vows that would be a step above the normal vows that were recited, but didn't restrict them too much. Their love was just so much more special than the average couple, so they just had to do something to elevate the ceremony. Hermione was the perfect person to do the research! She loved research!

Hermione scowled, knowing that she sounded bitter. But if she had to look through another color swatch of pink to dye the doves that Harry and Ginny were going to release after their ceremony, she was going to rip out her curly hair.

* * *

By the time December rolled around, Hermione had lost almost all filter around her happily dating friends, and she made an effort to avoid them as much as possible for fear of saying something that she wouldn't be able to take back.

But, this was Harry and Ginny's engagement party, and that meant she wouldn't be able to get out of this one, unfortunately. She'd put on a slinky dress as was expected of her, but she'd chosen one in a green color - unexpected. If she had to see one more shade of red, she was going to vomit.

She'd made a promise to herself to be friendly and nice and dance with whoever asked her, and surely she could put the intense bitterness she felt off for _one night_ couldn't she? This was Harry's engagement party, after all, and if anyone deserved happiness it was Harry.

Too bad for her, Ron and Lavender were _seriously_ trying her patience. Not only had they come over to talk to her - she said talk, but she really meant grope and snog with her as an audience - and they wouldn't leave her alone. Plus, Lavender wouldn't stop with all of her backhanded little compliments. "Oh, Hermione, I am just _so glad_ that there are no hard feelings between us, even though I am dating your ex."

Hermione gave her former roommate a tight smile, trying to communicate to Lavender that she was _over her bullshit_. "Well, Lavender, Ron's not my ex. We never dated, so there are of course, no hard feelings."

"But Won-Won told me you kissed during the battle?" Lavender said in that insipid baby voice of her's, and Ron just looked on with pink cheeks. Did that voice work for her, Hermione wondered?

"Ah, yes, we did share a lacklustre kiss in the Chamber of Secrets." Hermione said snidely wanting them to know that she didn't want, and would never want Ron Weasley. "And, as you know Lavender, not everyone you kiss is your boyfriend. I mean, _you've_ kissed several guys who you didn't date...Seamus, Dean, Anthony Goldstein, the list goes on." Hermione gave her a fake smile. "Oh! And who can forget the time that I walked in on you and Parvati kissing? Don't you remember that?"

Lavender huffed, clearly annoyed that Hermione was suggesting that she got around or something. Clearly thinking this was still a battle she could win, she tried to twist in the proverbial knife. "Oh, Won-Won, I want something just like this when we have _our_ engagement party."

"Engagement party?" Hermione asked, draining her champagne. "I didn't realize you'd gotten engaged. Why didn't you tell me Ron?"

"Well, we're not engaged yet." Ron told her, sheepishly. "But, I don't think it's too far off in the future." Lavender absolutely beamed at him.

"You'll have to help me plan something just like this, Hermione." Lavender demanded, assuming a smug smile.

Hermione laughed. "After everything that Ginny has put me through, I am afraid I'll have to start charging!" Honestly, it took up way too much of her time.

"No! You'll have to give Ron and I an equal job!" Lavender insisted, stomping her foot on the ground like a child.

Hermione snorted before realizing that she was serious. "And just why would I have to do that?" She asked. "Let me make something clear, Lavender. I can choose to give my time the way I see fit, not the way _you_ see fit."

"But Ron is just as much of your friend as Harry is! It isn't fair!" Lavender squealed, drawing the attention of the room to their little conversation.

Hermione was actually about to pull her hair from her head, when an unexpected knight in shining armor tapped her on the shoulder. She turned to face none other than Neville Longbottom, her fellow Gryffindor. "Hey, Hermione. I brought you a champagne, noticed you were out."

He handed her the tall flute glass, which Hermione took gladly, taking a generous sip. Ron, smartly, took the opportunity to pull Lavender away before she pissed Hermione off another iota. Sensing that the annoyed blonde was gone, Hermione took a deep breath, trying to let off the steam. "Thanks Neville. You have impeccable timing."

"Uh, is everything alright, Hermione?" He asked her, his cheeks slightly pink, figuring that he'd obviously interrupted something, though he understood that Hermione was at least not upset about it.

"Lavender was just...being her usual self. If you hadn't gotten here, I probably would have punched her."

Shocked at the suggestion of violence, Neville felt his eyeballs nearly pop out of his socket. Still, he could commiserate. Sometimes Lavender could be the most irritating girl...she just... _expected_ so much out of you. "It's not about Ron is it?"

"What?" Hermione squawked. "Merlin, no! Why does everyone assume I am so _heartbroken_ over that tosser? Did he tell _everyone_ who would listen about our lacklustre kiss?"

Neville's cheeks turned a bit pink. "Err...yeah, actually, it's come up a time or two." Ron certainly had a big mouth after the war, and when the Gryffindor guys met up for drinks, he could usually be counted on to brag about he'd kissed Hermione in the Chamber of Secrets. Neville, privately, didn't think it was a very good story.

Hermione growled. Well, that explained it. "Just to be clear, I would rather kiss a flobberworm than kiss Ron Weasley again. It was awful." She knew it was a bit spiteful to gossip about him, but he was already gossiping about her, so what did it matter.

"Noted." Neville smiled down at the fiery witch, reminding himself to never get on her bad side.

Hermione finally seemed to look him in the eyes. "Oh, Neville. I'm sorry to be so ornery tonight, but I swear if I have to see one more happy couple shoving their relationship and how romantic it is, I just might snap my wand and go back to the Muggle world. I am just sick of everyone feeling sorry for me because I don't want what they have."

"I know what you mean." Neville said, with a wry grin, finally understanding her frustration. "Some of the students have been unbearable. Kids as young as fourth years are talking about how they've found their one and only someone. It's a load of bollocks. But, you know, the same thing happened after the first war. It will die down." He promised.

"I've been thinking about traveling until that point. I think it would be the best option for my sanity." She told him with a smile. It was sounding more and more attractive every day.

"Well, if you're just looking to get out of London for a while, I'm going to Fiji on a short research trip in January. It's just for a couple of weeks." He offered, not really sure why. He liked Hermione, but it wasn't as if they were best friends. "And, I'll be there looking for plants to complete my Herbology mastery, so you probably wouldn't have to see me very much. You could spend all your time on the beach, reading."

"Fiji, you say?" Hermione asked, her mind instantly thinking of white sand beaches and clear blue water. But most importantly, she wouldn't know anyone there, well, no one but Neville of course. There would be no romance, just time to herself. "That actually would be lovely. If your offer was serious."

Neville never imagined that she would agree to go with him on the trip, so that was a surprise. But, it would be nice to have someone he knew while he was there for a month. "Of course." He nodded enthusiastically. "I'll owl you the details."

Hermione rewarded him with a bright smile. "Excellent. Now, let me go track down Kingsley while he's drunk, so he'll approve my time off."

Hermione skipped away, finally feeling excited about something for the first time since the war. It was going to be a lovely vacation, and she was glad to go with Neville. When they were younger, they had been much closer, but they'd grown apart. It would be nice to get to know him a bit better.

It would be an interesting few weeks.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Wow! Thank you all so much for the reviews, favorites and follows! I was really not expecting this. Glad you are enjoying my take on a different relationship between Hermione and Neville and I hope you enjoy all the awkwardness and fluffiness _and_ sexiness that is yet to come. You can follow me on tumblr, where I occasionally post sneak peaks and the like of future chapters.

Please let me know what you thought of chapter two and be on the lookout for chapter three soon!

* * *

The morning after Harry and Ginny's engagement party, Hermione felt a little bit of regret at accepting Neville's invitation to join him in Fiji. She wasn't used to doing anything that impulsive, and she hoped that Neville hadn't made the offer just to be nice. Merlin, that would be embarrassing.

Still, Kingsley had approved her time off - insisted that she take it really - and Neville had been very obliging in the details when they owled back and forth through the rest of December. By the time that January 1st had rolled around, Hermione was actually really looking forward to her vacation.

She'd indulged a bit in some shopping, rationalizing it at needing new clothes. After all, she didn't wear a school uniform any more, so she would need new clothes. A couple new swim suits were purchased, because the one bikini she owned was from the summer after third year when her parents had taken her to Greece. She tried it on and found that it was so tiny that it was indecent. And really, that just wouldn't do.

Another thing that she was looking forward to was getting to know Neville a little bit better. Their letters made her realize that she didn't really know as much about her friend as she'd previously thought. Of course, they'd been each other's first new friend at Hogwarts, when they met on the Express, but then, Hermione had been friends with Harry and Ron and they'd drifted apart.

Or well, Hermione drifted away.

Couple that with her year spent on the run, and Neville's terrible year at Hogwarts, and she barely even recognized him any more. He'd once been a short, pudgy little boy, but he was now really quite tall, so much so that he made Hermione feel tiny in comparison. He'd been nervous and unsure of himself, but a year of standing up to the Carrows and his greatest fear, Headmaster Snape, had erased the scared eleven year old. In his place stood a confident, funny young man.

Hermione was sure that they would have loads to talk about, too. She was fascinated to hear all about his Herbology mastery, as she was quite curious about the process of attaining a mastery in general. Plus, while she'd been in the top of her class at Herbology, it didn't come naturally to her, like Transfiguration did. She was sure that Neville would know loads of interesting little facts.

Not to mention, she would finally get a break from the annoying romance swirling in the air, which had done nothing but increased in the last few weeks. Hermione supposed that there was the added pressure of the holidays, Christmas, New Years, and of course Valentine's Day. She'd recently narrowly missed a lust potion infused muffin at the patisserie near her flat, and she just need a break.

So, with her tiny traveling case - extended with an undetectable charm, of course - in hand, Hermione happily made her way to the International Portkey Office, where she'd agreed to meet Neville.

She was impressed that when she arrived there, Neville was already waiting for her, because she knew she was early. Hermione always arrived early because she detested making people wait for her, and it was nice to see that someone else shared her desire for punctuality.

"Hello Neville!" She greeted her traveling companion cheerfully. His blond hair was mussed slightly, but he looked really good. "Ready for a grueling couple of hours?" She asked him.

"Hermione." Neville greeted. He was significantly more weighed down by all of his herbology implements, as well as his regular suitcase, so he wasn't able to give her the hug that he normally did. Instead he bent over, brushing his lips on her cheek in a friendly hello. "Yes, I think they said it would take about six hours. Have you taken an international portkey before?"

"No, but I've read a lot about them. I hear that it can be quite draining, so I hope that you don't mind if I go straight to bed when we arrive." Hermione teased. "Where to first?"

"Well, our first stop of five is Germany." Neville said, with a sheepish look on his face. Maybe he should have told Hermione about all the stops that it would be before she agreed to go on the trip. He knew it wasn't going be very pleasant.

"Excellent. Well, shall we?" She asked him brightly, leading the way to wear a ministry official was holding a rather large serving spoon, which he assumed was their first portkey. Shrinking all of his baggage to put into his pockets, Neville lead the way over to the man, who cautioned them not to let go until they were absolutely positive they'd arrived.

The trip to Germany felt like it was going to go on forever, though the actual travel time was only about ten minutes. Once they were there, they only had about five minutes to get to their next portkey, which would take them to Turkey.

The trip to Turkey seemed to take even longer, and Neville was beginning to feel quite ill. They had a much longer layover in the country, which Neville was grateful for, after he threw up all over his and Hermione's feet. Hermione looked quite sick herself, but vanished the mess without question.

From there, they made their way to India, and Neville had to argue with their ministry's official, who insisted that they were a day late for their portkey. It took a while, but they finally got things sorted, once Hermione took over the negotiations. From their, they had their longest journey yet, to Australia. It took about thirty minutes to get to the former colony, and Neville was feeling completely drained, though Hermione seemed chipper.

She even mentioned perhaps stopping in Australia on the way back so that she could visit her parents. She'd been able to reverse the memory charm on them, but they had decided they loved the heat and the sun so much that they were going to stay there. Plus, their dental practice was flourishing.

When their last journey was set to begin, Neville greedily took hold of the old tyre iron, wanting to just get checked into the hotel so that he could get some rest. This was certainly not the kind of trip he wanted to partake in on a regular basis.

By the time they arrived, even Hermione's chipper attitude was replaced with exhaustion. They were staying on one of the smaller islands, which catered exclusively to wizards, and looked uninhabited to the muggles. Because of this, Neville was quite excited to see what kind of natural magical fauna existed on the island, but tomorrow, once he got a bit of rest.

"You wait here while I go check in." Neville told her before walking over to the little desk where a wizard was waiting. "Hello, checking in for Longbottom."

The wizard pulled out a book and flipped through page after page in a book that contained all reservations. Honestly, it always made Neville nervous, thinking that they weren't going to be able to find it. He was a bit forgetfufl after all. What if he hadn't ever sent that owl in and it was sitting on his desk back in the greenhouse at Hogwarts?

"Ah, yes. Here you are. Mr. Longbottom." The short wizard finally looked up at Neville, before looking past him to where Hermione was waiting. He smiled at the witch and even gave her a little wave. "And, we received your owl that you were adding another guest to your accommodations."

Neville nodded, glad that he hadn't forgotten either owls. "Excellent." He said with a smile.

"Compliments of the manager, we've upgraded you to one of the overwater private villas, in the hope that you enjoy your honeymoon." The wizard grinned lasciviously at Hermione. "And might I say your wife looks _ravishing_ even after a long day of traveling."

Neville was completely gobsmacked, and was instantly transformed into a bumbling fool. "Um...what? Hermione's not my...did you say private villa?"

"Yes, its our premier honeymoon villa." The wizard told him, wagging his eyebrows at Neville. "Completely _private._ "

Neville shook his head, annoyed that this was happening. "That's not necessary. We'd just like the room that I booked originally." He said, confidently, hoping that they could still avoid disaster.

The hotel wizard ran his finger down the long page of paper. "Not possible, I'm afraid. Everything else is completely booked."

Neville turned around to look at Hermione. She'd specifically come with him to get away from all the romance in London, and now they were going have to spend weeks in a honeymoon suite? She was liable to kill him! But then, maybe it wouldn't be so bad...it might not even be decorated in any particular way. Best not to tell her unless it was absolutely necessary.

"Alright, if we could just have our keys then." Neville said, his shoulders deflating. He took the keys from the wizard before walking back over to Hermione.

"Everything alright, Neville?" She asked, having noticed the long and convoluted conversation he seemed to have had with the concierge.

His cheeks went a bit pink. "Oh, I think everything should be...fine. We were just upgraded from the room I'd gotten in the hotel. Instead, we will be staying in an overwater villa. He's assured me that it's quite nice." He scratched the back of his head, before leading the way to the enchanted boat that would take them to the villa.

The whole ride over, Hermione was excited to see their accommodations, but Neville was stiff and uncomfortable, hoping that she wouldn't be too upset. She gushed over the beautiful sunset in the background, and the perfect temperature, and how blue the water was.

By the time they got to their villa, completely out of the view of any other rooms, they climbed the little ladder to get to get to the villa. Hermione gasped, seeing a small private pool and a hot tub. "Oh Merlin! This is _fabulous_." She told Neville with a grin. Sure, swimming in the ocean would be lovely, but how nice would it be to also relax in the hot tub with a full glass of wine?

Neville held his breath, as she hadn't actually been inside the villa let. He unlocked the door, stepping aside so that Hermione could barrel in after him. He couldn't stand to face her.

He heard her drop her small traveling bag, in what he assumed was shock. The decor was tastefully done, but it was very obviously romantic. Deep reds accent the cream colored walls, and there was a distinct sensuality to the furniture...not that he knew furniture could be sensual.

Hundreds of tiny candles lit the room, and a trail of red rose petals lead out of the room and into what Neville assumed was a bedroom. Clearing her throat, Hermione asked sharply. "Just _why_ did you say we were upgraded to this villa?"

Neville sighed. She was clearly very annoyed, but she wasn't cursing him yet, either, which was a positive. He turned to face her, a guilty look on his face. "They got it in their heads that we are married...this is the honeymoon suite."

Hermione's cheeks turned quite pink and Neville would later swear that her hair crackled with magic. "Well, did you tell them they were wrong?" She questioned him sharply.

"Yes, I told him, I promise, Hermione!" He quickly told her, feeling really bad for the girl, who was basically stuck here with him now for the next few weeks. "I asked to have the original room, but they said that everything else was booked! I'm so sorry."

Hermione softened, seeing that he was truly upset. "It's alright, Neville, I don't mean to get mad at you. I know it's not your fault." She could already feel the tension building in her shoulders, and she thought about seeing if she could get a massage the next day. "It just feels like the Universe is conspiring against me."

Neville smiled at her, understanding the feeling, having shared the sentiment many times before. "Well, shall we check the rest of the place?" He offered, leading the charge. They had a fully stocked kitchen, with just a small table, obviously meant for only two people. Hermione was impressed to see that the living room had a muggle television.

On the deck, there were two loungers, with comfortable looking cream cushions. Hermione would definitely be reading a book on those later. The bathroom was immaculate, with partially frosted glass that still allowed you to look out over the ocean in the shower, while still obscuring your form.

The only problem was the bed. Hermione and Neville stood at the foot of it, looking uncomfortable. It was a heart-shaped monstrosity, with decadent red cotton sheets. Hermione ran her fingers over the linens, and was sure it was at least 1000 thread count…if that even existed!

They quickly came to the conclusion that this bed - obviously primed for hot, honeymoon sex - was the only bed available in the villa. Neville shifted his weight back and forth on his feet, before remembering that he was a wizard. "Ah, well, we can just split it in two! With magic!"

Hermione quickly nodded, before raising her wand, before a neat seam formed down the middle of the heart, and the bed separated in two parts. "That was a bit therapeutic." Hermione admitted, having broken that absolute symbol of love cleanly in half.

Neville nodded, waving his wand at his suitcases, sending his clothes to fold neatly in the dresser that was provided for them, his toiletries shooting off for the bathroom. Hermione did the same with hers before moving back towards the kitchen.

"Well, I think that they left some champagne chilling for us in the other room." Hermione said brightly, feeling like this wouldn't be so awful after all. "We better not let it go to waste."

He thought that sounded like a great way to start off their vacation - well, not that it was _really_ a vacation for him - and gladly took the champagne glass from Hermione. They drank it out on the deck, enjoying the last bit of warmth from the sun, while watching the sun set over the ocean.

The whole scene was rather romantic, but he certainly wasn't going to say anything about it to Hermione.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you all so much for your favorites, follows and reviews after last chapter! I just finished Sleeper yesterday, so go read that if you are looking for a complete story! It's Theomione. I so hope you will enjoy this chapter...things are about to get a little steamy.

Please let me know what you thought of chapter three, and be on the lookout for chapter four soon!

* * *

The next morning came much more swiftly than either Hermione or Neville would have liked, but both knew that they needed to get up to face the day to deal with the portkey lag. The sooner that they got onto the island's time schedule the better.

Hermione had, undoubtedly slept better than Neville had. He'd become quite tall, well over six feet tall, since he was a child, and he didn't quite fit on the oddly shaped bed that had been created when they split it in two. He could really only get one leg fully on the point of the heart, and the other one had kept falling off, causing him to wake up several times in the night.

Bad sleep aside, he was ready to get started for the day. Hermione had graciously cooked him breakfast, sliding a plate of scrambled eggs and fried tomatoes, with a few slices of bacon in front of him on the kitchen table. He'd contributed a pot of tea for them to share, but suddenly felt inadequate in the face of her culinary masterpiece.

"I know it's not much, but I figured it would do for today." Hermione said sheepishly, before taking a forkful of eggs from her own plate.

Neville happily took a bite, moaning his delight. "Honestly, Hermione, these are delicious. It's been a long time since I've had a proper breakfast. I've been so busy with my research." He'd taken to spending most of his mornings in the library at Hogwarts.

Hermione gave him a sheepish grin, obviously flattered at his words of praise for her cooking. It was hard to be constantly compared to Molly Weasley's cooking, and so to hear such an honest opinion was refreshing. "What are you researching, exactly?" She asked, intrigued.

"Well, I am specifically looking at how magical plants do in non-magical environments. I've heard of a particular kind of orchid here in Fiji that the local inhabitants use for medicinal purposes. I think that it's likely a magical plant, but they don't realize it." Neville said, really excited to have someone to talk about the subject with.

"Hm, that's very interesting!" Hermione said, thinking of the implications. Of course, being a muggle, she knew all about muggle scientists finding plants that could cure or fight loads of muggle diseases, but she'd never considered the possibility that they were magical plants all along. "What's it called?"

"It's similar to a Pastor's Orchid." Neville told her. Personally, he loved orchids, and he thought that they were a very meaningful flower, tricky to keep alive for any reasonable amount of time, especially in Scotland! "Those are really common around these parts, and they have these big leaves. But, the special one is called a Death Orchid. It's got petals that are nearly black, and it looks like it's wilting, even when it's perfectly healthy."

Hermione snorted. "What an apt name."

"Yeah, I'm really hoping that I will just be able to find one. Pot one to take back, and maybe do a bit of research of its magical properties while I'm here." Neville said, pushing his empty plate away. "That was delicious, Hermione, thank you." He told her sincerely.

The lopsided smile he gave her caught Hermione completely by surprise, and she was surprised by just how _attractive_ she found Neville. Of course, hearing him talk so passionately about a subject that clearly interested him, that wasn't Quidditch, had been nice too. "It's no trouble. Think of it as a thank you for getting me out of that blasted city."

A beat of uncomfortable silence stretched between them until Neville awkwardly cleared his throat. It was staring Hermione in the face just how much they'd grown apart, just how much she didn't really know this new Neville. And then her heart skipped a beat. She wanted to know him.

"Well, I was planning on doing a short hike the rainforest this morning, if you wanted to come with." Neville told her, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck. "It's not going to be anything too intense, just to kind of get my bearings."

Hermione relaxed, hearing that. She wasn't sure that she was ready to go on some eight hour hike over rugged terrain just yet, though maybe after she'd gotten a few days rest. "That would actually be really lovely, Neville. I'll just go change."

She ran back to their room and dug through her travel bag until she found a pair of khaki shorts, sturdy pair of boots and a breathable linen top. At first, she was going to choose a black shirt, but instead settled on the white, sleeveless one, knowing that she was liable to get hot, and she didn't need the added warmth of a black shirt.

After she'd changed, she put her hair in a tight french braid, wanting to keep her thick hair off of her neck. She returned to the kitchen, seeing Neville putting on a bit of sunblock. Deciding that was probably a good idea in the tropical sun, Hermione did the same, making sure to get the tips of her ears.

Filling up a set of water bottles, they made their way out onto the deck before apparating over to the beach. Hermione sighed, taking the scenery. It was truly gorgeous, with the blue ocean surrounding them every which way that you looked, and the lush green vegetation that covered the tiny island they were on.

Entering the forest, Hermione smiled, intrigued by all of the different flora and fauna that she'd never seen before. She'd gotten a lot of experience while on the run with Harry and Ron with forest, but this was completely different.

Once they had walked quite a ways, pointing out new and exciting things together, Neville finally broached a subject that had been on his mind since the engagement party. "So, Hermione, humor me...if you had to date someone, what would be the qualities that you'd want him to have?"

Hermione snorted. "Merlin, Neville, did Rita Skeeter put you up to this?" She teased. Rita Skeeter did not trust Hermione enough to actually approach her, after her little vacation in a glass jar, but she did get her little flying monkeys to do her dirty work for her, to report on the sad state of Hermione's love life.

Neville laughed. "No, I promise I won't tell anyone...Gryffindor's honor!" He said, making a little motion over his heart. "I guess I just...well, it seems like you've gone on a lot of dates, but nothing ever seems to stick." He teased her. He wasn't sure why he wanted to know, but he thought that Hermione deserved a nice guy, her own Prince Charming.

She was quiet for a moment, thinking it over. "Hmm...I don't know Neville, this seems a bit silly." She said, kicking a rock far ahead from where they were walking.

"Let me guess. Average height...Um, pureblood of course - only the best for you, Mione - red hair, blue eyes, has the disgusting habit of eating with his mouth wide open." Neville ticked off traits, using his fingers. "Oh! And of course, an unhealthy obsession with the Chudley Canons. He'd also have to have a terrible middle name like "Bilius", or something like that."

By the time that he was done, Hermione was laughing. "Nev-ille!" She sing-songed his name. "No! Ronald is definitely not my ideal wizard. Lavender can keep him and his terrible snogging skills to herself."

Hermione walked a ways, collecting her thoughts. "I don't really have a preference for hair or eye color." Hermione privately knew, though, that she didn't want a redhead. Too much baggage. "I guess, I'd like him to be taller than me, but that's not hard, because I'm pretty short." Hermione nibbled on her lower lip, gaining a bit of confidence in her wants. "I want someone who is smart, funny, has hobbies other than Quiddtich, understands that succeeding is important to me and shares that quality. I also don't want someone who takes themselves too seriously."

She noticed that Neville's hazel eyes were looking at her face with pure concentration. "Merlin, that sounds like a pretty demanding list." She told him, feeling a bit sheepish.

"I don't think it's unreasonable at all, Hermione." Neville said, giving her that goofy lopsided grin of his. "So what if none of the guys you have been on dates with so far don't fit the bill. Someone will, and it will be worth the wait." He said, confidently.

"Well, the dates never worked out because no one seemed to understand that I am still me, Hermione Granger. They all have this idea in their head about some big war heroine, and they like the idea of dating someone famous, rather than dating me." She looked down again at the path, scowling. "Even some guys in our own year. I took classes with them for six years. Surely they know who I am."

Neville grimaced. "To be honest, Hermione, they were probably just excited at the chance to get to date you. I know several guys who think Ron is crazy for going for Lavender instead of you."

His tone with quite serious, which made Hermione a bit uncomfortable. It was odd to think that someone...guys even...would prefer her over Lavender. She needed to get the conversation off of her love life. "Well, I am sure that it will die down soon. Everyone will remember how boring I am and then move on to someone else."

He could tell that she didn't really want to discuss this any more and let it drop, not wanting to upset Hermione on the very first day of their vacation together. "Exactly." He looked around. They'd been walking around for a few hours, and he was ready to go back to the villa. "Well, I think I've got a good idea of the lay of the land. Shall we head back to the villa?"

Hermione nodded, before taking Neville's arm in her hand, so that he could side-along them back. When they returned to the air conditioned bliss of the villa, she realized just how sweaty she'd gotten, trudging about the rainforest. "I think I'll just shower quick, then. Okay, Neville?"

Neville nodded, before heading over towards the door to the deck. "I think I'm going to take a quick dip in the ocean. Are you game for dinner at the resort tonight?" He asked. He was glad that Hermione had cooked breakfast, but he didn't expect her to cook all their meals.

"Sounds good!" She called over her shoulder, walking in the direction of their fabulous bathroom. She left her sweaty clothes in a heap by the door, before turning the water on cold, and releasing her hair from it's braided prison. She giggled at herself in the mirror, seeing the havoc that the humidity had wrecked on her.

Stepping into the cool water, Hermione sighed, feeling herself relax despite the cool temperature. She thought about the day she'd had. It had certainly gotten herself out of her comfort zone, and she was able to do a bit of introspection. And she had had a good time joking around with Neville.

One of the walls of the shower was partially frosted, so that her body couldn't be seen, but she could still see the ocean where the glass was clear, above her shoulders. Hermione decided to enjoy the view, thinking that this villa, despite the romance, might just be paradise.

Looking out the clear portion of glass, Hermione noticed Neville, still standing on the deck in his clothes. She gasped when he took his shirt off, revealing the bunching muscles in his back. Next, he unzipped his pants and slipped them down his legs. Hermione thought her eyes might pop out of her head.

She felt bad because she was spying on her friend, but he looked _so good_. She had obviously noticed that Neville wasn't the chubby eleven year old that she'd first met, but this was...he was completely transformed into muscled hunk! Merlin, Hermione thought, he must be so strong. Just when had this happened, and where was she? How was it possible that she hadn't noticed it before?

Just then, Neville looked left and right, before shaking his head, remembering that the villa was completely private, before he hooked his fingers in the band of the clingy boxer briefs he was wearing. Hermione knew that she should look away, stop invading her friend's privacy, but she was transfixed.

The clingy black fabric slipped down off his hips revealing tanned flesh to her greedy eyes. Hermione didn't think she'd ever seen such a nice arse before, and she thought about how nice it might be to hold onto his back or his arse if he were on top of her. That thought caught her completely off guard.

Neville then bent over slightly before taking a dive off of the deck and into the water. Hermione gasped, seeing the way that his muscles rippled all the way down from his arms to his leg as he went through the motion.

She leapt away from the glass, her shoulders pressed against the cold tile. Despite being under the cool water, her body was on fire. Hermione squeezed her legs together, surprised by the heat there.

Hermione felt completely embarrassed, thinking about what a terrible voyeur that she was, spying on her good friend's private moment, but then she wouldn't have realized just how different of a person Neville had become. And the fact that she'd become so...aroused by him. Her cheeks flushed hot.

Turning the water off, Hermione stepped out of the shower, thinking that maybe it had been too long since she had been on a date, since she'd had an...intimate encounter. To be such a terrible little spy was reprehensible. She scowled. This was the kind of thinking that she was trying to avoid by getting out of London, by agreeing to go on this trip with Neville in the first place.

Toweling her body off, Hermione took a deep breath, trying to get her heart to stop beating so fast. Drying her hair with her wand, she summoned new bra and knickers from the bedroom, and slipped them on.

Now, she just had to figure out how to calm herself down enough so that she could get through dinner with Neville without blushing the whole time! She was sure that he would notice something was up. He'd always been very perceptive.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Whew! Is anyone else hot in here after last chapter? Things will be ramping up quickly in the love department. In this chapter, see what Neville wants in a lady! Please let me know what you thought of chapter four and be on the lookout for chapter five soon!

* * *

Hermione spent the rest of her afternoon trying to get the thoughts of Neville's bare backside from her mind. The whole time she was doing her hair and putting on minimal makeup she couldn't help but daydream around what he might look like coming back out of the water. She hadn't gotten a chance to see his chest, but her dirty mind was willing and able to fantasize about how muscular that might be too.

She'd shuffled herself into a nice red dress that was a step up in formality, but not too formal either. It's not like they were going on a date, it was just a casual meal between friends on a fabulous island.

Neville had come inside at that point, cheeks a bit pink, and Hermione hoped that he hadn't seen her spying on him. She decided to watch a bit of television while he finished getting ready. It was a bit mindless, but it gave her something to focus on other than the very naked man in the shower, just feet away.

"Wow, this doesn't look anything like what they show in Muggle Studies." Neville said brightly behind her, causing her to spin around on the couch. He'd put on a pair of denims and a button down shirt that had been rolled up, showing the ropey muscle in his arms.

Hermione shook her head. Maybe she should obliviate herself, so that she wouldn't have that delicious memory rattling about in her head. Instead, she cleared her throat. "Yeah, the television that they show in class is about thirty years old. A lot of advances in technology have been made." She switched it off, realizing that she'd selected some kind of dating show, and she didn't want Neville to mention it.

"Shall we?" He asked, casually offering her his arm, and leading her out to the deck, where their little boat was waiting to take them ashore. Neville went down the ladder first before helping her into the boat. Hermione thought that it was a sweet gesture. She didn't think that Neville thought she was incapable of walking, but he wanted to see to her safety. A bit of old fashioned manners, she mused.

They spent the ride over to the little restaurant in relative silence, the waves lapping up against the boat. It was rather soothing, and Hermione mused that she might like to go on a little boat ride one of these days. Maybe they had a sailboat rental. She'd be sure to stay within the islands, as she didn't fancy being out on the open ocean.

The restaurant was beautiful, almost reminding Hermione of a beer garden, with its twinkling white lights illuminating the palm tree canopy that covered the outdoor seating area. She never wanted to leave!

A waiter came to their table quickly and greeted them with a broad smile on his face. "Ah, if it isn't Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom! We weren't expecting you see you out of the villa today." The wizard nugged Neville's shoulder and wagged his eyebrows at Hermione.

She didn't think that she'd ever seen Neville look so red before. He cleared his throat. "I told you before, this isn't our honeymoon, and we aren't together. We are just friends."

The wizard seemed to willfully ignore hearing Neville's words, which Hermione thought was odd. "Whatever you say...let me go bring you some chilled champagne. It's on the house." He swept away before Neville or Hermione could get a word in edgewise.

"Merlin, that was embarrassing." Neville said, letting his head drop to his hands. "I am so bloody sorry, Hermione."

She could tell that he was really embarrassed, and Hermione wasn't sure what to feel. Was he embarrassed that someone thought that _she_ was his wife? Was he embarrassed of _her_? "Come now, Neville. If you keep protesting so much, I am going to be hurt that you are too mortified to be romantically attached to me. I hear, I am quite the catch."

His head shot up hearing her words. "No, Hermione, it's not that. I'm not embarrassed of you, it's just I already corrected them once, and I know you came with me to get away from the...romantic business, and a honeymoon is basically the most romantic thing that you could have." His cheeks went pink. "And I can't believe he wasn't subtle at all about the...the sex."

Hermione burst out laughing. "It's alright, Neville. If they are going to give us free stuff, we might as well not argue with it. I will continue to drink free, expensive champagne with you, husband." She said winking at her friend.

He seemed a bit more relaxed after she joked about it, glad to have some of the tension melting away. By the time the waiter returned with their drinks, all awkwardness had dissipated. Hermione ordered a tiki drink that sounded quite strong, but Neville bit his tongue. She was a bit girl, and she could drink whatever she wanted. They both ordered fish, knowing that it was likely to be very fresh and extremely delicious.

Hermione, internally, was bursting with curiosity about what kind of woman Neville wanted in his life. Sure, they'd talked a lot about her love life, but he hadn't mentioned anything himself, except for disdain with his students' love lives, but nothing about his. By the time their entrees were at the table, she couldn't keep it in a second longer. "So Neville, turnabout is fair play. What are you looking for in a woman?"

Neville's cheeks instantly went pink, and Hermione was struck by the fact that maybe Neville wasn't looking for a woman. "Or, you know, a guy, life partner in general." She added on, not wanting him to feel uncomfortable.

If it was possible, his cheeks turned even pinker. "No, it's uh...definitely women." He told her, his hazel eyes cautiously meeting hers. "I um, haven't really given it much thought either, I suppose I always thought that it would just click."

"So, why did things not work out between you and Hannah Abbott? You seemed pretty crazy for each other after the war." She asked, curious about what had split the two lovebirds up, though, if Hermione was honest, they always seemed too different to work well together. They didn't compliment each other like some opposites did.

"Well, it was great at the beginning." Neville revealed, honestly, not at all embarrassed. "After the war, it felt like everything was going to be wonderful for once. And having someone who wanted you back just felt like walking on thin air. But after a while, we just ended up fighting more than we spent enjoying time together."

Hermione pursed her lips. She was entirely sure she knew what that was like, because she remembered those halcyon days that she had left behind pretty quickly. She was ready to move on after the war, get rebuilding, fixing society, but it seemed like everyone else was happy to stay in the haze of post war bliss. There was so much to get done.

"She wanted me to be an auror, but, when Professor Sprout offered me the apprenticeship, I knew that getting my mastery in Herbology is what I wanted to do. I didn't even have to think about it twice." Neville told her, a smile on his face.

She was genuinely happy for her friend. "That's wonderful Neville. I am glad that you knew just what you wanted." She wished that her own life had had that clarity. To this day, she wondered if she made the right choice when she'd accepted her job from the Ministry. "Is it awkward now with Hannah?"

"No, I think she was a bit relieved when I broke things off, to be honest." He said, pushing his fish around his plate with the fork. "But I hardly ever go to the Leaky, so I don't see her all that often."

Hermione nodded. It would be nice to not have to see Ron very often, and she hadn't even dated him! If he wasn't so sure of himself, if he wasn't so sure that she was secretly crying over him, Hermione wouldn't find him so intolerable. "Alright, well, you still haven't told me what you prefer. Blondes? Shall I set you up with Luna?"

Neville laughed at the suggestion. "Thanks, but no thanks. I mean, I suppose, objectively, I am actually most attracted to brunettes." Hermione watched as pink spots reappeared on his cheeks, perhaps because _she_ was a brunette. "I want someone with more substance than just the color of her hair. Someone thoughtful, because Nimue knows I forget everything. Someone kind, someone who has hobbies of her own and won't mind me spending hours out in the garden. Someone who likes the outdoors and doesn't mind getting in a bit of dirt. Someone who understands that family is a touchy subject for me." His voice caught at that. "And someone who just likes me for me, not the guy who killed Voldemort's snake."

Hermione smiled, thinking that she perhaps understood Neville better than he thought she did. She could appreciate family being a touchy subject - something that the Weasleys could never wrap their head around - with her own family away in Australia. And she could understand the pressures of what people _thought_ she was like as a war heroine, without understand who she really was.

"That sounds like a very nice life, Neville. I am sure which ever witch you choose will be very happy."

"You make it sound like they are lining up around the block for me." Neville teased. "You know, for someone who says they hate romance, you seem to enjoy romantic gestures."

Hermione tensed. "I am not really sure what you're talking about." She was quite practical, and she was positive that she didn't like being put through what she had been these past months.

"Well, I think that you like watching the sunset, taking walks, nice dinners with the right wizard of course." Neville said, thinking about all the little things he'd noticed about her in just the one day they'd been in Fiji. "So why are you running away from all of it?"

"I can like those things and not want to be pushed into a relationship, just to date someone." Hermione snapped at him, feeling cornered. "I fought in the war for more than just getting married and having children with the first person who asked me for drinks."

"Of course you did." Neville conceded, surprised by her tone, but not willing to back down. "But no one is saying you have to. Someone asking you out doesn't mean that those things will happen."

"But everyone _expects_ it, Neville." Hermione looked down at her plate. "All of my friends, the newspapers, the tabloids. Everyone else has it, so they just look at me like some kind of freak because I haven't found the right person yet. Even if I did find the right person, I don't think I'd want to get married right away." She defended herself, taking a breath before continuing her little tirade. "And I just hate the way that they _pity_ me, thinking that I am some kind of lost puzzle piece that just needs to find her other half to be fulfilled!"

Neville was beginning to get the fuller picture now. "So it's not that you don't want to be swept off your feet, it's that you don't want to be swept of your feet because everyone else expects you to want to be swept off your feet?" He asked, trying to show her how ridiculous she sounded.

Hermione was getting very annoyed now, though. She hadn't wanted to discuss this at all. "Look. I just wanted to get away from the dates and the owls and the other little presents I get from wizards who don't even know me. Now, I don't want to talk about this any more."

Neville was a smart enough wizard to sense that Hermione had been pushed too far on the subject, and he knew when to keep well enough alone. The silence between the pair of them seemed to stretch on and on like the vastness of the ocean. "I've convinced Professor Sprout to build a special greenhouse for the NEWT students."

That certainly caught her attention and got her in a more positive mood. "Really? That would be nice, you'd be able to work with more dangerous plants." She mused, thinking about all the trouble some of the less dangerous plants caused for first year students.

"Yeah, one of the second years got caught by a Venomous Tentacula for a few hours...he came out a little bit funny." Neville said, a smile from ear to ear, remembering the boy. He wasn't seriously hurt, but he was definitely going to drop Herbology as soon as possible. "The Board of Governors wanted them taken of the curriculum."

Hermione snorted at that. "Oh yes, wonderful idea! Surely, they know how lucrative selling the leaves are for the school? Don't they know how much income that they lend to your department?"

"Well, you know Hermione, a lot of people don't think that Herbology is a very worthwhile subject to study." Neville said, with a scowl, thinking of his own grandmother. "But, this way, I think we will be able to still work with the plants. I think I might even grow a couple of cobra lilies too. I reckon the Slytherins will enjoy that."

And just like that, their dinner conversation was back on track, discussing the politics of working at Hogwarts, and Hermione's role in Magical Law Enforcement. She spent most of her time reviewing the laws that were put in place during the Death Eater's reign and worked to roll them back. Then she could start working on the rest of the Wizarding World's antiquated laws.

By the time that Hermione had finished her second tiki drink, she was giggling along with every story he told about his most unfortunate second year student, Marcus Slewyn, and Neville found that he quite liked that sounds of her laugh. He endeavored to hear it more often on their trip.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Huge thank you to everyone who favorited or followed or reviewed after last chapter! The feedback is honestly so great. You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour), where I occasionally post sneak peaks and story updates. I have a new story out, it's a Lumione called Go Away, so please check that out if it floats your boat. And I have a Fenrir/Hermione oneshot coming out on Friday, so please give that a shot too if you are interested.

This chapter gets a little bit steamy, sort of. Please let me know what you thought about chapter five and be on the lookout for chapter six next week!

* * *

The following morning, Neville woke just when the first rays of sunlight were peaking through the shutters. Laying in his awkwardly shaped bed for a moment, he listened to the soft sound of Hermione snoring. She sounded like a little kitten, purring, he thought with a smile.

Deciding to get up and let her rest - it seemed like she was well on her way to tipsy the night before - Neville left the room, charming the curtains shut. He figured that she might be a bit hungover this morning, and he figured that she deserved a bit of a lie in.

Making himself some oatmeal on the stove, he sprinkled a bit of brown sugar on top and tucked in, thinking things over. He decided that he would get out of the villa this morning, do a bit more exploring, this time on his own. As much as it pained him, he figured that it was a good idea to give Hermione a bit of space.

Even though he still privately thought she was being a bit ridiculous, he could tell that he'd really hurt her the night before. He wasn't sure why he couldn't stop picking on that particular topic with him, but he wasn't able to help himself. He'd always been fascinated with Hermione, and this was just another facet of her life that he wanted to understand.

He was sure that their conversation had changed, she would still want a little time to herself to stew over what happened. To think about what he said. He knew that Hermione would be at least a bit annoyed that he found her stance unreasonable. Not that he couldn't understand wanting to get away from it all. He was sure that if he was in London more often, it would be the same for him, but he was lucky to be cloistered away at Hogwarts.

Aside from the odd sixth or seventh year girl, not too many witches proposition in Hogsmeade would date to proposition him.

Making up his mind, Neville penned Hermione a short note, leaving it on the dining room table, before accioing appropriate clothing from his room, and changing awkwardly in the kitchen. He felt a bit silly to be doing this, but he really didn't want to wake Hermione.

It wasn't like he hadn't skinny-dipped in the ocean the day before, he really shouldn't be embarrassed to do so now in the privacy of their own kitchen! He wasn't sure what had possessed him to strip all the way down, but he had to admit it was a bit exhilarating. Plus, he knew that many hours in the hot greenhouses had transformed his body into something that he'd never be embarrassed about.

Satisfied that he was ready for the day's adventures, Neville left the villa, apparating back to the shore of the rainforest, taking a deep breath before walking in. He had noticed a few trails and places that he wanted to walk in, knowing that it would lead further into the humid forest. If he followed his calculations, he knew that the Death Orchid would be in rarely disturbed places, that only let in a little bit of light.

Knowing that he might encounter all kinds of dangerous wizarding plants, he made sure to keep his wits about him. It wouldn't do for him to get snatched up by a venomous tentacula like little Marcus Slewyn. He didn't know what he'd do...probably have to send Hermione a patronus to come and find him.

Smiling and full of optimism that today would be the day that he found his elusive plant, Neville went off, trodding through the dense foliage.

* * *

When Hermione woke up, she found the villa blissfully empty and the curtains charmed dark against the sun. Casting a quick tempus charm, she saw that it was nearly eleven o'clock! She couldn't remember the last time that she'd slept so late, and she silently thanked Neville for the charm on the curtains. Sitting up, she was unsurprised to find her head pounding a bit from all those delicious drinks she'd had the night before.

Standing from bed, she walked to the bathroom and dug around in her toiletries until she was able to locate her Pepper Up potion, swallowing it in one go. Almost immediately, the lingering headache from her headache dissipated.

Padding into the kitchen, not particularly caring that she was in her small, airy, cotton pajamas, she found Neville's note immediately, seeing that he would be out exploring today. Hermione did feel a twinge of sadness that they wouldn't be able to spend the day together, she knew that this trip wasn't really a vacation for him, and he did have real research to do.

Toasting an English Muffin for herself, Hermione decided that after breakfast, she would change into her swimsuit and do a bit of sunbathing out on the deck. She also had a lot of reading to catch up on while she was here. It would be nice and relaxing and something that she hadn't done in a long while.

Once she'd changed into a white bikini, she happily flounced out to the deck, settling herself on the deck chair, eyes protected by a pair of sunglasses. She was sure to put on a bit of sunscreen, knowing that she didn't want to get burnt. Sighing, she pulled out the book, but found that she couldn't quite focus on the words.

She kept replaying her argument with Neville from the night before over and over again, wondering why it was that she was so sensitive about it. Did it hurt so much because she thought that Neville might be right? She was so conflicted. She obviously wouldn't mind being in a relationship if the right guy came along, but she didn't want to go on dates with whoever just to date someone.

But how would she know if it was the right wizard if she didn't date them? Would they sweep her off her feet? Wasn't that exactly what romance was? Oh! It was so frustrating, because she couldn't adequately put into words what she wanted, but she also wasn't even sure she knew what she wanted.

A little part of her subconscious wanted to scoff at her. Of course she _liked_ romance...she had dozens of bodice rippers on a shelf in her flat. But those were just fantasy, right? She'd always carefully maintained a practical state of mind that those kind of things just didn't happen in real life.

Shaking her head, annoyed that she was focused on this, she looked back to her book on arithmetic methods, and was finally able to focus. An hour or two passed, Hermione baking in the warmth of the tropical sun like a serpent.

* * *

Neville had spent the morning on a rather frustrating journey, and had found loads of Pastor's orchids, but he hadn't found any of the elusive Death Orchids, to his immense disappointment. There had been one or two that he thought might be the right species, but upon closer inspection, they weren't the ones that he wanted.

His stomach growling and his neck sufficiently sunburnt, he decided to head back for a spot of lunch, thinking that Hermione was probably in a much better mood at this point. Apparating back to the villa, he was surprised to find it empty. "Hermione?" He called out, wondering if she'd gone exploring herself, but he didn't find a note. "I'm back."

"Out here, Neville." He heard her voice call from the deck, and he walked over to the window by the kitchen sink. He was certainly not prepared for the glorious sight that he found there. Stretched out like cat, Hermione was lean and had so much creamy skin on display that he did a double take.

The stark white of the bikini she was wearing stood out against her skin, showing off the healthy glow she'd gotten just today from the sun. Neville didn't think that he'd ever seen Hermione wearing something so revealing, but he was definitely appreciative. The white triangles of the top showed off the delicate curve of her breasts. Her slim waist was revealed above tiny little bottoms with two ties holding them together at the sides.

He bit back a groan thinking about how easy it would be to rid her of those little bottoms with his teeth, before pressing his face between her thighs.

Shaking his head, he was surprised and shocked by his physical reaction to Hermione. Of course, she was his very good friend and he enjoyed her personality immensely. He'd even had a not so small crush on her back in fourth year, when he'd asked her to the Yule Ball, so he'd always know that she was pretty, but this...

... _this_ was a completely different side to the Hermione Granger that he knew.

Needed to calm himself down a little bit, he wandered over the the refrigerator, pulling out a pitcher of lemonade, and pouring a glass for himself, before drinking it all in three large gulps. He hadn't realized how thirsty he'd been, he mused, pouring himself a second glass, before pausing and pouring one for Hermione as well. She'd probably appreciate it.

Walking out to the deck with two glasses of lemonade in hand, he felt better prepared to face that minx, that secret sex kitten. "Brought you a lemonade." He said, handing her the glass.

Hermione gave him a brilliant white smile, before setting down her book and taking the glass. Neville felt the moisture leaving his mouth watching her plump, pink lips wrapping around the edge of the glass as she took a drink. "Ah, thank you Neville! I needed that. So, how was your exploration today? Any luck?"

Neville sighed, thinking about his pointless expedition. "Well, it wasn't so bad. I covered a lot of ground. I found a couple of promising areas, but I didn't find the correct plant yet." He rubbed his hand over his face.

"Well, I suppose that you can't expect to find it the second day out." Hermione offered, and Neville supposed it did help a bit. He did have a few weeks left to find it, and he would need to face the idea that at some point he might not find the plant at all.

"Yeah. Did you have a relaxing morning?" He asked, his eyes once again trailing down her body.

"Yeah, I've gotten almost half way through a book and I hadn't even been able to get through a chapter in the past three months! It's so nice to have a little time to relax." Hermione smiled, looking down at her toes, wiggling them. "And, of course, to soak up a bit of sun."

Hermione bit her lip, thinking over her next move. She'd been wanting to get her backside a bit of sun, so that she didn't go home in two colors, but she'd been unable to get her back with sunscreen. She supposed that Neville was a friend and he would understand. "Hey, Neville...do you think you could put a bit of sunscreen on my back? I haven't been able to reach it?" She asked, finally, holding out the tube.

Neville looked at her before taking the tube. "Sure, Hermione, but only if you put a bit of aloe on my neck. I missed it and I got a little more sun than I wanted."

She nodded, sitting up and turning around. Neville got a bit of sunscreen on his hand, and began rubbing it into her back. He was mesmerized by how large his hand looked against her back, how soft her skin was. He was so entranced that he almost missed the tiny little moan she made. Almost.

Clearing her throat when he removed his hand, Hermione turned around. "Thanks for that. Accio aloe vera!" She called, holding out her hand as the green gel flew out of the bathroom.

He wanted to see if he was able to affect her as much as she affected him, so while she was unscrewing the tube, he lifted his shirt up to take it off, revealing his bare chest to her.

Turning to look at her, he was pleased to see the little look of surprise and awe, and Hermione's brown eyes roving over his chest, from the light dusting of hair over his pecs, to his abs, to the trail of hair still leading into his pants. He sat down heavily on the edge of the chair.

Her fingers touched him tentatively at first, and he shivered at the cold temperature of the gel, but soon she became more confident, her fingers massaging the aloe into the sore muscles of his neck and back. Before he knew it, it was him who was groaning, his head leaning forward. Soon, he realized that the gel was all rubbed in, but she still hadn't stopped, and he wondered why he was subjecting himself to this sweet torture.

When her fingers stopped moving, it was Neville's turn to clear his throat. He stood, awkwardly replacing his shirt. "Thanks Hermione." He said, keeping his eyes on his feet. "Well, I will let you get back to your reading. I have some notes to record inside." He said, needing to put a bit of distance between the two of them.

Once he was back into the villa, he let himself groaning, wondering how on Earth he was meant to go sleep with that beautiful woman only one foot away from him. Looking back out the window, he could see the curve of her firm arse.

He made a decision rather quickly and he was confident that it was the right one. Hermione said that she didn't like romance, or didn't want to be romance, but he knew that wasn't the case. If someone knew how to romance _Hermione_ and not just some other witch, she would love it.

Someone needed to show Hermione what being swept off her feet was like, because if anyone deserved it, it was Hermione. He had a unique opportunity, it being just the two of them, and Neville was excited to begin. He couldn't stand the thought that he might have to compete for her attention with someone else.

Someone needed to romance Hermione, and Neville knew just the wizard for the job. He was going to show her all the perks of love in the remaining time that they had together in Fiji, and if he was lucky, she wouldn't throw him away when they got back to London.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who favorited, followed and reviewed after last chapter! I love reading all of your comments! You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour), where I post story updates and sneak peaks, and you can ask me questions if you'd like.

So, I would love to hear what you think about chapter six, and be on the lookout for chapter seven next week. Without further ado, let the romancing commence...

* * *

The rest of the week passed much in a similar way, with Neville spending most of his mornings exploring the rainforest, before returning to the villa to take notes. Hermione spent most of her mornings lounging on the deck, reading. She'd even given a pirate romance novel a read, and had been embarrassed to be caught by Neville. He was amused, she was mortified.

By the weekend, though, both were itching to break out of their respective routines. Neville had done a bit of exploring around the port of the island, and thought that it might be a good excursion for the pair of them. "Say, Hermione, how would you like to go down the village today? They have lots of little shops about."

Hermione didn't need to be told twice about the village. "Great idea!" She gushed, before zipping off to the bedroom to change into a pale blue sundress, which showed off her new tan. Her hair tied back in a tight french braid, and she was ready to do a bit of wandering around.

Because Neville was the only one who'd been to the port, he offered her his arm so that they could just side-along apparate, rather than taking the little boat, which was quite slow as far as transportation went.

Hermione gasped as soon as her feet touched the ground, looking around the adorable little city. She thought it looked like something out of the eighteenth century, with its wood framed buildings all along the street across from beach. "This is so gorgeous!" She said, before they made their way to the first shop, which sold all kinds of rum.

The pair of them had a few samples. "This was such a good idea, Neville. I can pick up some souvenirs for everyone." She selected a package containing several drams of rum. "This will be good for Ronald don't you think?" She asked, showing him the gift.

"Yes, I think he'd like it." Neville agreed. "Though, I don't really see why you'd even want to give him a gift." He rolled his eyes as she paid for it, before shrinking it and putting it in her purse.

"This vacation is making me forget all of his terrible qualities." Hermione joked. "I am sure one day back in his presence will have me keeping the gift for myself."

They moved onto the next shop, where Hermione got Ginny a set of earrings made from polished sea shell. They were really gorgeous, Hermione thought, and would suit the redhead well. For Harry, she got him an assortment of sweets, knowing how much he liked to try unusual flavors of candies.

Before long, they were both hungry and decided to get lunch at a little restaurant overlooking the beach. This was so different from the resort's restaurant, and Hermione found she liked the low key aspect of it, though they weren't offered any free champagne to her disappointment. They both got the fish again, and talked about Neville's fruitless searches so far.

"I'm sure you will find the orchid, Neville." She said, placing her hand on his, blushing slightly when she realized how intimate the gesture was.

"Maybe...if it even exists. It could all be a made up story." Neville replied, a bit darkly, shaking his head. "I need to just accept that I might go this whole trip without finding it, and it won't be the end of the year. I will still have plenty to write about for my final paper about the flora here, but, still...it would have been nice to have a specimen."

Hermione knew where he was coming from, having felt the frustration of being so close to something, but not being able to figure it out. She knew that muggles sometimes searched for years before finding something of value, but she didn't think that it would cheer Neville up.

Once lunch was done, Neville began steering her towards a particular shop. "So, I heard that the bookstore was really great here." He started. "Want to go check it out?" He asked her with a smile. The bookstore was the whole reason that he'd brought Hermione to the port in the first place, knowing how much she loved them.

"As if you even had to ask!" Hermione said gleefully, the prospect of exploring shelves and shelves of interesting books driving her forward. "Well, lead the way Mr. Longbottom!" She urged, taking his hand tightly in her's.

Neville felt his cheeks warm, loving the feeling of her tiny hand engulfed in his own and began walking to the shop. Seeing how happy it made Hermione was exactly why he'd done it, and her attitude did not disappoint.

The bookshop looked plan enough from the outside, with just a tiny sign hanging over the door, but once they were inside, Hermione could barely contain her excitement. The change in the air was tangible, no longer the sea salt ocean smell, but instead the smell of paper from a different time, the smell uniquely of books.

There were rows and rows of books, with ladders to get to the highest shelves, as well as a little mezzanine level with additional books and a little reading nook beneath a large window overlooking the beach and the crashing blue waves in the distance. Hermione wandered between the shelves of book, totally in awe of the wide array of material they had.

There was both muggle and wizarding works represented amongst the mix, and certainly some very old works, historic really, and she couldn't wait to see what all they had. Turning the face Neville, she was surprised to catch him smiling at her. "Look, Neville, here's the herbology section. Maybe they'll have more information on the local flora." She said with a smile.

Neville looked confused for a short while, as if what she said didn't quite make it to his brain, before nodding, and stepping forward. He looked over the books, running his long fingers over the spines of the books with a reverence that Hermione rarely saw anyone but herself exhibit.

With Neville sufficiently entranced with the herbology books, Hermione decided that she could probably take a look around, do a bit more browsing. It was so rare that one of her friends didn't make a huge fuss about the time that she spent in the bookstore. Hell, since she'd been working so much, she rarely had any time at all to browse.

Still, that was the great thing about Neville, she thought. Even though she doubted that he would come to a bookstore on his own for an afternoon, he knew that she would enjoy it, so he went along with it. And, he was able to find something that he enjoyed about her hobby, as well, so he was able to participate, not just grumbling that they didn't even sell any Quidditch magazines there.

Smiling to herself, Hermione looked through the muggle literature, hoping to find something unique, but was unimpressed with the selection. She'd already brought quite enough wizarding literature - ahem, bodice rippers - that she didn't think she would enjoy anything that they had in the shop. If she ran out of her stash, she supposed that she could always come back later on during the holiday.

But the non-fiction...the non-fiction had more topics than she knew what to handle! She spent some time reviewing the potions area, as they had quite a bit about local medicinal potions and she thought that perhaps Neville might get some use out of it, especially as that is what mentioned the Death Orchid in the first place.

Then, she found the ancient runes section. She was amazed to learn that Fiji, and well all of the pacific islands, had their own system of runes, which when she thought about it, why wouldn't they? Ancient runes was something of a secret passion for her, so she found herself eagerly picking up a beginners translation book, and then climbing the ladder to get to some of the basic texts.

With the translation guide open, Hermione tried to piece together the titles, to find a book that would interest her most. She was a bit disappointed that most of the books were just discussion of ancient trade routes, but she supposed that she had to start somewhere. Seeing one that specifically mentioned Australia, she picked it up and decided she would purchase it, as it was one little thing to tie her to her parents.

Just as she was about to step down from the ladder, she heard Neville behind her. "Hermione, watch out!" Realizing her mistake too late - she'd clearly missed a rung, and got her ankle trapped on the next one - she was falling, both books clattering to the ground in a heap, as she desperately tried to grab onto the ladder.

Closing her eyes, she waited for the sickening thud that was sure to happen when she fell the considerable distance to the floor. But, she never did make impact with the ground, and when she opened her eyes, she was looking at Neville's hazel brown eyes, his arms wrapped tightly around her.

"Hermione, are you alright?" He asked, knowing that she was likely just scared that she'd fallen.

Hermione nodded. "Yeah, I think so." She gave him a sheepish smile. "I can't believe I fell down."

"I'm just glad that I was there to catch you." He said. He didn't want to put her down, thinking that it felt very _right_ to have her in his arms, but he knew that he had to. He'd already held onto her for too long.

When her ankle had to bear weight, though, she immediately hissed. "Ooh. Guess I'm not as alright as I thought I was." Tears sprang into her eyes, and she immediately lifted her foot from the ground, leaning on Neville for support.

"Come on, let's get you back to the villa." Neville said, picking her up again, as though she were light as a feather, ready to side-along her.

Hermione resisted laying her head on his chest, though she felt so protected and safe with him. "But, Neville, what about the books?" She asked, gesturing to the heap on the floor that had fallen when she did.

Neville grinned at her worried little expression. "I think that they are used to it, Hermione. They will handle it." Without another thought, he apparated them back to the villa. When they arrived, he strode towards the couch before settling her against the cushions, placing a pillow under her foot so that it was propped up.

Carefully, he undid the clasp on the ankle of her shoe, sliding it off, apologizing when he jostled it a bit too much. "Thank you Neville, but I really think-"

He cut her off before she could finish the sentence. "It's alright Hermione, let me take care of you." He let his eyes rove over her flushed appearance, curls escaping her tight braid, and brown eyes full of lingering tears from the pain. He looked back down at her foot. "Just give me a few minutes and you'll be feeling better in no time."

Unfortunately, wizards hadn't created a spell yet to heal sprains, which Neville thought was a bit silly, but he knew that there were a few things that he could do to help her body heal it faster. First, he cast a cooling charm to help with the inflammation. Next, a modified incarcerous that would apply constant pressure to the joint, without cutting off the circulation.

Hermione watched Neville work with awe. She couldn't remember a single time when she'd been treated so carefully, with so much concern. Surprisingly, she didn't hate it at all, like she thought she would. She never wanted to be treated like a princess, but she knew that Neville didn't think she couldn't do things herself. He just wanted to help her because...

She watched the top of his dark blond head as he inspected her ankle and she thanked Merlin that she'd remembered to shave her legs that morning! The feel of his hands on her skin felt better than she could imagine, and his gentle touch didn't hurt her at all. It was comforting, soothing, and she didn't want it to stop.

Eventually, though, he did have to stop. "You wait here, and I will just go get you a pain potion from the other room." He said, settling her leg back against the pillows. He strode out of the room and reentered a few minutes later, holding a vial. "Here you are, Miss Granger."

Hermione gladly took it, uncorking the vial and downing the contents. Instantly the throbbing in her ankle all but went away. "Thank you for taking such good care of me, Neville." She said with a shy grin.

"Now, why don't you wait here, watch some television, while I go arrange to have dinner brought here?" He asked, taking his role of doctor very seriously. "Or would you prefer I got you a book?"

Hermione blushed. "No, the television would be lovely. Dinner as well, thank you Neville." She watched as he apparated away, and wondered if she would ever be able to take care of him in a similar fashion. She wondered what it would feel like to touch his body like he had. Would he feel the same way about her touch?

Before long, Neville returned to her immense surprise, carrying a pizza. "Pizza?" She asked. "I had no idea that wizards even knew about it!" It was a great choice though.

"Well, this _is_ a bit of a tourist destination, after all." He said with a smile. "I thought it would be easiest, and you could just eat on the couch." He put a slice on a plate for her, before carrying it over.

"Care to join me? I was just about to watch a movie...it's about an archaeologist who is constantly trying to get artifacts before the Nazis do." She grinned, thinking that the action adventure genre would be most appealing to him.

She was correct, as he watched the movie all the way though, excitedly asking her questions during commercial breaks. They laughed together, drawing some parallels between looking for horcruxes, as they were kind of magical artifacts. Hermione realized she'd had a surprisingly enjoyable time with Neville.

By the time that the movie was over, Hermione was yawning, and tiredly stood up, ready to roll into bed and fall promptly asleep once she closed her eyes after the long day she'd had. She'd done more that day than she had in the previous week.

"Oh, one more thing, Hermione." Neville said, picking up something to hand to her. "While I was getting the pizza, I got this for you too."

"Oh, that was soo thoughtful!" Hermione gasped, seeing the exact book on ancient trade routes in Australia and the basic translation guide. She was so impressed that he'd noticed what books she'd selected, and that he'd gone back for them, all for her. She bit her lip, and made her decision before she could think too hard.

Standing up on her tippy toes, she wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled him down, pressing her lips firmly against his. He was surprised, but it didn't take long before he kissed her back, sucking her lower lip between his, overwhelming the bit of plump flesh.

She gasped, pulling away, perhaps realizing just how much she was reacting to him. With a bright red blush on her cheeks, unable to meet his gaze. "Goodnight, Neville."


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who favorited, followed or reviewed after last chapter! I am so glad you all liked Neville taking care of Hermione...it was pretty sweet though. Let's see if he is even more impressive in this chapter. Also, so I reference a Venus Fly Trap in this chapter, and I realize that it is not native to Fiji...and I recognize that it doesn't get big enough to attack a human. So, just give me a pass, okay? You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour).

Please let me know what you think of chapter seven and be on the lookout for chapter eight soon!

* * *

Hermione was woken up by the soft stream of sunshine peeking in from the window, but she didn't get up right away. She just couldn't stop running through what had happened the day before. She'd had such a great day with Neville, one she wouldn't mind repeating again.

First, he'd planned such a lovely excursion into the port city, which was lovely enough to begin with, but then, he'd even taken her to a bookshop and let her spend as much time as she wanted there without complaint. And, when she'd fallen from the ladder, he'd caught her in his arms, strong and sure and safe.

She couldn't resist the sigh. It was bloody romantic, and it did make her heart skip a beat in excitement.

He'd realized that she was hurt, and apparated them back before taking such good care of her. She knew that Neville wasn't the best with healing charms, but he'd done his best to make her feel better, and knowing how hard he was trying, how serious he took it, made her feel better right away.

Finally, they'd had the most enjoyable time eating pizza and watching Indiana Jones together on the couch. The only regret that she had there was that she wished she could have been snuggled against his chest, or resting her head on his shoulder.

Feeling her cheeks heat up, she remembered the kiss that they shared at the end of the night. Well, more like the kiss that she'd given him. Still, she couldn't deny that he'd kissed her back, and she could just tell that he was holding back, not wanting to push her too far. And Merlin, did she ever want to kiss him again.

Still, she wondered about what would happen if she did kiss him again. That would be crossing a line in their friendship, and she was unsure if they would be able to uncross it again. Neville had so many items in the pros column, though, that she thought it might be worth a shot. He was thoughtful, kind, he cared about her obviously, and he was ridiculously attractive.

Deciding that she'd hidden away in the bedroom long enough, she stood tentatively. The charms on her ankle had dissipated over the night and she was concerned there would be lingering discomfort, but she was pleasantly surprised to learn that it didn't hurt at all. She made her way to the kitchen, not caring that she was still in her pajamas.

She found Neville in the kitchen, just having some tea. "Morning, Hermione. How's the ankle today?"

She was a bit surprised that he didn't seem different to her at all. It was like he was just pretending that nothing had even happened the day before. Did he want to forget about their kiss? Frowning, she noticed his eyes trailing up her lean legs, to her face. Maybe he wasn't as unaffected as he feigned. "Much better, Neville, thank you. It's almost as though nothing happened."

He took a quick sip of tea, that had Hermione smirking to herself. "Shall I make an omelette?" She asked him. Seeing him nod, she got to work, and before long, they were seated across from one another, enjoying a spot of breakfast. "What are you planning on doing today?"

Neville pushed around his food on his plate. "I was planning on going on another hike today. I found a promising path the other day while I was out, and I think I might try it today. It's pretty deep in on the island." She could hear the hope bleeding into his voice, and Hermione really hoped that he would be able to find the Death Orchid today.

Nibbling on her lower lip, she found that she didn't really want to be alone at the villa today. Well, more specifically she wanted to spend more time with Neville. Her fears about destroying their friendship were temporarily pushed aside. This was something she wanted, and she was going to go for it. "Mind if I tag along?"

His head shot up, hazel eyes boring into hers with a bit of heat. "Wow, yeah, actually that would be great, Hermione." She felt her breath catch, seeing the sun shine on his dark blond hair. "Actually, would you mind taking some notes for me while we walk?"

Hermione laughed. "I think I can handle that." Sending the plates to the sink with a wave of her wand, she stood from the table. "Well, I'll just go change, then." She turned and scurried back in the direction of the bedroom, grabbing her khaki shorts, and a white t-shirt.

She met Neville back in the kitchen, filling up some water bottles to help stay hydrated along the way. Hermione was excited to see a bit more of the rainforest, because it had been so full of new things when they'd gone the other day. She happily took the pen and notebook that Neville had been collecting his notes in - surprisingly muggle, she thought with a smile.

"It's easier to keep everything together with that." Neville said, explaining.

Hermione gave him a surprised look, catching her lower lip with her teeth. "I've used them before, Neville, you don't have to explain." She said with a giggle. "Muggleborn, remember?"

"Oh, of course." He said, before taking her arm to side-along her to the shore. He was sure that she could make it there just fine on her own, but he couldn't resist the brief moment of skin to skin contact with the pretty witch.

As they headed into the rainforest, he gave her a warning about the magical plants. "Keep your head up, Hermione. I found a huge venomous tentacula the other day, and if you aren't careful, they can get a hold of you."

Hermione nodded, taking his advice to heart. "So..." She started, as they began walking together. "What do you think you will do once you receive your mastery? Will you work on new magical cures, using unusual plants?" Hermione thought it might be very interesting to work at St. Mungo's.

Neville grinned, turning to face her. "Can you keep a secret?" He asked, teasing tone in his voice.

Hermione scoffed. "Of course I can, Neville. Do you have any idea who you are talking to?"

He nodded, before letting her know his big secret. "Well, I think I'm going to stay on at Hogwarts, actually. Professor Sprout is retiring at the end of the year, and they've offered me the job." He said, pulling back a branch so that Hermione could walk past him.

"Oh, Neville! That's wonderful news!" Hermione said, proud of her friend's accomplishments. "Congratulations."

"Yeah, I am pretty excited. I've already started coming up with a couple of lesson plans." He told her. "And, of course, I've got loads of experience writing memos for the Board of Governors."

Hermione thought about what it might be like to have Neville as her Herbology professor. Internalizing a groan, she thought that she would have found it extremely difficult to focus when he was so good looking. Even now, with a bit of scruff, he just looked rugged and handsome. His shirt had begun to stick to his body from the humidity, and knowing what kind of secrets lay hidden beneath it sent a jolt of heat between her legs.

Shaking her head, she needed to respond like a normal person. "Have you always wanted to be a professor, Neville?"

"Not really, to be honest. I am a bit worried that I will be complete shite at it, but I've done alright with the lower years so far, and I am sure I will learn a lot." He said. "You'd make a good professor I reckon."

"Oh, I don't know." Hermione said. She knew it was a sentiment many people shared, but she wasn't sure that it would suit her. She loved reading and research, but she had difficulty explaining things to people and she often got frustrated if they couldn't pick it up. "I think magical law suits me so far."

"Well, I suppose, as long as it's something you enjoy." Neville offered, with a shrug.

Hermione snorted. "Oh, I don't know if enjoy is really the word I would use to describe it." She thought about it for a while. "If I didn't have to deal with the aurors so much it would be better...I guess, every time we get another law repealed it is...satisfying."

"Hmm, well, if you ever change your mind, I am sure that Minerva would have you on as a Professor." Neville offered, understanding her sentiment on it being satisfying.

"Minerva, eh? You two are on a first name basis then?" She asked with a smirk.

"Well, yeah." Neville played it off like it was no big deal. "You can't secretly fight the Carrows all year with her and not get on a first name basis." Hermione giggled at his statement. She was sure that it did make you feel closer. "Oh, I almost forget to tell you the best part!" He said eagerly, turning to face her and walking backwards. It was an ambitious endeavor, considering just how clumsy he was.

"Well? Don't leave me hanging!" Hermione ribbed.

" _Minerva_ has asked me to be Gryffindor's Head of House!" He said with excitement, truly proud of his accomplishments. "Merlin, can you imagine Professor Snape's face if he heard that? I might have to go tell his portrait when I formally accept."

Hermione laughed, thinking that Professor Snape probably would be very put out by it. "Neville, that's wonderful! I hope that the students don't give you as much trouble as Harry, Ron and I gave Professor McGonagall." She was sure everything would be much calmer without Dark Wizards running amok.

Before Hermione could take another step forward, Neville's arm shot out, holding her back. "I think that's it." He said, staring straight ahead at an orchid, nestled amongst some brush. It had several flowers, each one back, and facing down, like a face throwing up. Little veins of white ran all over the center of the flower.

Neville cautiously moved forward, as if the plant was going to run away, before reaching out to touch one of the petals. He turned around and smiled. "Yes! This is definitely the Death Orchid!" He told her, excited. "Start taking notes about the general environment."

Normally, Hermione would take issue to being ordered around, but she understood that this was a momentous discovery for Neville and wouldn't begrudge him the moment. She took a step back and dug out the notebook, opening it to a blank page, and began taking notes, estimating the amount of sun the area would get, and the way that the soil seemed a bit wetter here.

While she was noting the other kinds of plants nestled around the Death Orchid, she didn't notice the shadow hovering over her until it was too late. A plant popped down and snapped her up, getting ahold of one of her legs. Its soft gummy fangs closed around her leg, coating her with a thick saliva like substance. Unable to help herself, she screamed, catching Neville's attention.

"Hermione!" He called, dropping the clipping of orchid that he was taking. Fumbling around in his pocket, he looked for his wand, finally getting it out of his pocket, only to promptly drop it on the ground.

The venus fly trap was trying to pull Hermione further in, and her heart was beating wildly. "Neville! Please help me!" She called. She could feel the thick, hot saliva sliding up her shirt, and onto her neck. It was making her skin crawl and she wanted it off.

Finally, standing with his wand firmly in hand, Neville sent a severing hex towards the plant, hitting it square where it was intended. The plant was hurt, and immediately opened its jaws, dropping Hermione on her head onto the soft, dirt ground.

Neville rushed to her side, obviously concerned. Hermione was so touched, she couldn't think of the last time that someone had saved her from something, her specifically. Dobby sort of saved her from Bellatrix, but really, the witch pushed Hermione away to save herself. And then she and Ron had fought Nagini, but he was fighting for himself too...

It was sweet and heroic. "Hermione! Are you alright?" He asked her, pushing her damp hair from her face, grimacing seeing all the plant saliva on her.

"I've been better." She said weakly, a bit sore and really grossed out. She wanted to get out of her wet clothes as soon as possible.

Neville scooped her up, holding her tightly in his arms. Hermione felt her breath leave her. "Come on, let's get you back to the villa." He said, clearly worried about her.

Hermione sighed, thinking that it was certainly romantic to be carried from the rain forest. It was romantic and she loved it! "But Neville!" She called, seeing the black orchid on the ground. "What about your plant clipping?"

Neville turned to look at the plant on the ground before shrugging his shoulders. "I'll be alright. It will still be here tomorrow after all. You are way more important to me than a silly plant." He began walking them towards a clearing so that they could apparate out.

Feeling her heart beat wildly beneath her breast, Hermione thought she just might actually swoon at his words. Yes, Neville Longbottom did romance very well.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Hello lovelies! Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, favorited or followed after last chapter. Now...this chapter is pretty much all smut, so feel free to skip if you want. I know that people tend not to review as often on smut chapters, but if you liked it, but are nervous to review, it would be cool if you just review like thanks or great or :). You can also follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour).

Please let me know what you thought of chapter eight and be on the lookout for chapter nine next week! Only one chapter left!

* * *

Once they were safely back in the villa, Neville carefully set her down, keeping in mind that she'd just been dropped on her head. She seemed alright, though a bit sticky, but he wanted to keep her close in any case. "Are you alright? Are you woozy at all?"

Hermione shook her head slightly. "I think I will be okay, I just really want to take a shower and get this saliva off me!" It was drying rapidly, and while she knew it was unlikely to injure her, it certainly didn't feel good either.

Neville nodded in understanding, before supporting her shoulders and walking her to the bathroom, though he was pretty sure that she would be alright on her own. Still, Neville didn't like seeing her hurt, and it gave him a little piece of mind to have her close. He couldn't believe that she'd been attacked by a Venus Flytrap! After all, they _were_ carnivorous, but he'd never seen one large enough to try to digest a human before.

When they got into the bathroom, Neville reluctantly let her go. Hermione wasted no time in pulling her shirt up over her head, using the fabric to wipe some of the saliva off her neck. Then, she realized that she was standing in just her shorts and a nude lace bra in front of Neville Longbottom!

She blushed slightly, but was surprised that she didn't really mind too much that it was him that she was practically naked in front of. In fact, she wanted him to see her this way, and she wanted him to reciprocate.

Looking up, she saw his eyes trying to look anywhere but at her chest, but not doing a very good job. Even his pink cheeks couldn't hide the appreciative look in his eyes. Hermione let her shirt drop to the floor in a wet pile, before trailing her fingers down her body stopping at the clasp of her shorts. Seeing his eyes follow the movement, Hermione had already made her decision.

The shorts fell to the ground next, leaving Hermione standing in a pair of matching nude knickers. Biting her lower lip and gathering every ounce of her Gryffindor courage, she tried to sound as appealing as possible. "Neville, how would you like to join me in the shower?"

She could hear an audible noise of appreciation from her tall friend, before his hands grabbed the bottom of his own shirt, pulling it up over his head. "I think that's probably a good idea. I would hate for you to fall down or something while you were in there."

Hermione openly gaped at his tan, muscular chest. He looked so strong and large, and she wanted to run her hands over every inch of him. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts momentarily, she reached behind her, unclasping her bra and letting it fall to the floor.

Her nipples tightened instantly, either from the cool air or her aching arousal she wasn't sure, and Neville's eyes were instantly drawn to the appearance of the rosy pink buds topping her pale breasts. "To be clear, Neville, I'm not inviting you in because of my safety. I'm inviting you in because I want to get naked with you."

She turned, not wanting to see his reaction in the unlikely case that he would reject her. Hooking her thumbs in her knickers, she pushed the scrap of fabric down her legs, leaving her completely bare. Stepping out of them, Hermione took a few steps forward, stepping into the steam of the hot shower.

After seeing the beautiful curve of Hermione's arse, Neville didn't need to be told twice, and quickly stripped from the rest of his clothes, not even a little bit embarrassed by the thick erection he was sporting. Hermione Granger wanted to get naked with him in a shower, and he could think of nothing he'd rather do at this moment.

He got into the shower after her, closing the glass door. It was a rather spectacular shower, with views of the vast blue ocean, but all of his attention was focused on the wet witch in front of him. With her hair completely wet, it was nearly straight, and Neville found himself missing her wildly curly hair.

She had her head tilted back to completely cover her hair in the cascade of water, her eyes closed, and mouth parted slightly. Her breasts were thrust out towards him, tempting him with the lush flesh, but when he stepped forward, he only had one thing on his mind.

The moment his lips touched her's, her eyes snapped open in surprise before fluttering back shut. Neville thrust his hand in her hair, keeping her head tilted back, and pressed himself against her, his cock pressed against her tightly, showing her what she did to him. Hearing her moan made him feel like he was floating on thin air.

He wanted to press her up against the glass of the shower, but he knew that if he was going to have Hermione Granger, the first time wouldn't be a quickie in the shower. Breaking the kiss, he looked at her tawny eyes, barely visible behind her wide blown pupils. Smiling at her, he reached behind her and grabbed a washcloth and the bar of soap, quickly getting the fabric sudsy.

Starting at her neck, he let his hand rove over her cashmere soft skin, covering ever inch of her shoulders and arms with bubbles, his body shielding her from the spray of the water. He shyly met her eyes when it was time to wash her breasts. She looked dazed almost and said his name like a breathy sigh when his thumbs brushed the hard peaks through the fabric. "Neville."

Her breasts were on the smaller side, but they fit in his hands perfectly, and enticed him, perky and covered in soap. He let the cloth move down to her waist, briefly dipping into her belly button before reaching behind her to get her back. When she'd undressed earlier, he'd noticed the two little points at the small of her back, and he'd decided he'd very much like to kiss those while thrusting into her from behind.

Seeing Neville kneel down to lovingly soap up and down her legs nearly caused Hermione's heart to stop. He was treating her so delicately, so gently, and her nerves were on fire with desire. Each touch made the throbbing in her core pulse a bit more insistently. And now, he was so close, his face was basically right there, but he didn't indulge her wanton fantasies.

Instead, he made sure each of her legs was clean, taking extra care with the leg that had been bitten by the Venus Flytrap. Although it's fangs hadn't been able to penetrate the skin, it had left some bruising that Neville was sure was going to be painful. Once her legs were sufficiently soaped, he stood, smirking a bit at her groan, knowing that he'd left one key place untouched.

At his full height, he let the soapy rag trail down her stomach again, before stopping at her pussy. He used the washcloth to gently clean her, parting her folds and making sure no place was untouched, even sneaking back momentarily to her rosebud.

Hermione mewled at his light touched, grabbing his biceps and trying to press her lips against his neck. "Patience, Hermione." He said pressing a finger to her nose, before letting the water rinse her off, the washcloth forgotten on the floor of the shower. Turning off the water, he grabbed one of the fluffy towels on the rack and proceeded to dry Hermione in much the same way that he'd soaped her, taking his time before drying himself.

She was loving the attention of Neville, her heart racing with every action. This was the kind of romance that she'd been looking for all along, not taking her to some exclusive restaurant just to be seen by reporters with _the_ Hermione Granger, but taking the time to take care of her, because he wanted to. Still, she didn't understand...why wasn't he touching her the way she really wanted him to?

He gave her one of those crooked smiles before wrapping her back up in his arms. "Sorry, Hermione. If I am going to make love to you, the first time will be in the proper bed, not a hot shag in the shower." He seemed to blush at his own naughty words. "Though, I wouldn't be opposed to revisiting this situation at a later date."

Hermione thought that sounded like a fabulous idea, but first, she wanted to see how this encounter went. Grabbing her wand from the counter, she quickly dried her hair, before striding purposefully towards the bedroom. Seeing their heart shaped bed split in two, Hermione waved her wand and in a flash it had been fused back into one.

Turning around, she saw Neville waiting their, his eyes drinking in her form and making her feel sexy and wanted. Crawling carefully on the bed, Hermione beckoned the naked wizard to come join her, taking the time to look at his whole body. He was truly magnificent, but she was most excited his proud cock jutting out from his body. It was long and thick and she couldn't wait to have it inside of her.

Neville didn't have to be asked twice, and was soon on the bed himself, pulling Hermione to settle herself back against the pillows. With her hair fanned out, she looked so beautiful, flushed and wild. Hovering over her, he kissed her again.

Their kiss in the shower had been tentative and sweet, much like the one the night before, but this was passionate, dominating, and unlike anything that Hermione had expected from Neville Longbottom. He nipped her lower lip, pressing his tongue against the seam of her lips, wanting to tangle his tongue with hers, massaging and caressing her mouth.

Hermione ran her hands through Neville's short, dark blond hair, holding him tightly against her. The throbbing in her core was insistent, and Hermione found herself rocking against his thigh, desperate for some friction.

Neville broke away from her lips, before kissing down her neck, sucking on the skin, sure to leave some dark love bites. He trailed his way down her neck, past her collar bones, until he'd wrapped his lips around one nipple, flicking it back and forth with his tongue. Not wanting to neglect the other, he used his hand to pinch the beaded tip.

Hermione was a moaning mess, wanting so much more. She was overcome with excitement, practically dripping, when he left her breasts and kissed down her taut stomach, headed towards her center. His first lick was tentative, but it felt like an electric shock to Hermione, finally being touched where she'd so desperately wanted to be.

Latching his lips on her clit, he alternated between firm sucks and clockwise licks, while a long finger entered her, slowly thrusting inside of her. His groan of appreciation of how tight she was sent shivers of pleasure racing all the way up her spine. "Oh, Neville, please!" She squealed. Hermione couldn't think of a time when she wanted someone more. This had been a whirlwind vacation, but everything seemed so _right_.

When he added another finger, Hermione quickly found herself coming undone, her pussy tightening around him, while he lapped insistently on her clit, sending her careening into orgasm, moaning his name.

Merlin, Neville thought he'd never get sick of hearing her say his name like _that_.

Boneless, but wanting more, Hermione pulled on Neville's shoulders, wanting to see him. She pulled him down for a kiss, finding that she didn't mind her taste on his lips, instead still feeling a bit hot that he'd done that for her.

Neville looked down at her, pushing some of her curly hair out of her face. He wanted nothing more than to bury his cock between her legs, but he didn't want to push Hermione into something she didn't want. "Hermione, are you sure this is what you want?" Merlin, he prayed that she said yes, because he wanted her.

"Neville, yes, that's why I asked you into the shower with me." She said insistently grinding herself against his hardness.

He groaned, hazel eyes shut tight at the sensation, before opening again. "I just want to be sure...I know that you weren't looking for...this when you came here." He hoped that she might want something with him, but he didn't want to pressure her into something she'd regret when they got back to London.

"I'm positive. I know that I didn't _think_ that I wanted this when I came here, but, to be honest, I've wanted you more and more each day." Hermione didn't want to worry too much about the particulars now, in case Neville didn't want a relationship. "Now, will you please fuck me?"

Neville kissed her again, his hand trailing down her side before positioning the tip of his cock at her entrance, before slowly pushing in inch after inch, groaning at the slickness. Once Hermione had adjusted to his size, he pulled one of her knees up towards her chest. He withdrew slowly before thrusting forward again, both of them moaning at the sensation.

Hermione hadn't ever felt this connected with her previous sexual partners (though, admittedly, there were only two), and she wondered if it was the same for him. He filled her up so completely, seeming to hit all the spots she needed to push her rapidly towards orgasm. She was already so sensitive from her previous one that every time he thrust forward and pressed against her clit had her that much closer.

Clutching him by the shoulders, Hermione met him thrust for thrust before crying out, as her orgasm rushed over her, sending her into bliss. Neville certainly appreciated it, the feel of her coming undone around him, pressing his face against her neck, his ragged breath sending shivers up and down her spine. Two, three, four powerful thrusts and he was pulled over the edge, groaning her name into her ear.

Neville was collapsed against her chest, but Hermione found it to be a bit comforting, feeling his heat against her, his own heart beating as quickly as hers. "That was amazing." She told him, unable to keep a grin from her face. "I should get picked up by Venus Flytraps more often."

Neville laughed, rolling off of her, but pulling her to rest against his side, her head on his chest. "If I didn't hate seeing you hurt so much I might agree. You're right, that was perfect. We work well together."

"What does this mean?" Hermione asked, agreeing that they did work well together. Things had escalated so fast though, and her previous courage was melting away. She liked Neville rather a lot more than she expected.

He gave her a soft smile. "Let's just sleep for now." He wanted to convince her that they should do it again and again and again, but knew that things were still fragile right now. "We can talk more particulars in the morning." He yawned.

Hermione nodded, thinking that it was a good idea. It would give her time to collect her thoughts. Listening to the waves crash beyond the villa, it didn't take long for the pair to doze off.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Thank you all so much for reviewing after last chapter! I really got a lot more reviews than I was expecting! Thanks to everyone who favorited and followed as well! Well, here is the final chapter of disparate youth! Thank you all so much for coming on this fluffy little ride with me. You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) to keep up with other stuff I am working on.

Please let me know what you thought of chapter nine!

* * *

The next morning came quicker than either Neville or Hermione expected, Neville wrapped around Hermione's tiny body holding her close. She stretched her limbs, pointing her toes to ease any stiffness from her calves. Her body had really been out through a lot of activity the day before, first being attacked by a plant and then having the best sex of her life.

She didn't know what to expect this morning. Last night hadn't been awkward at all; in fact, it felt so right. She was worried that things would be weird between them, and she hoped that she hadn't ruined their friendship. Would Neville want to stay friends and she would be unable to forget the amazing chemistry that they had together?

To her surprise, Neville just snuggled closer to her, his breath tickling her neck. Steeling herself for the conversation to come, Hermione savored the closeness for a minute longer. "Good morning, Neville." She said softly, turning to face him, still wrapped in his arms. She felt her cheeks turn pink.

"Good morning, Hermione." He returned with a smile, determined to let her steer the conversation in whatever direction she wanted. It would hurt if she wasn't interested in him, but he would understand, and she was too important of a friend to him to let it ruin their relationship.

She found herself rather entranced by the bit of hair on his chest. It gave her something to focus on while she talked. She didn't think that she could stand to see the look in his eyes if he rejected her. "So about last night...I really, really enjoyed it, but...I don't want to push you into something you don't want. I understand if you'd rather just forgot it happened."

Neville felt his breath catch. "Is that what _you_ want?"

Hermione shook her head. "No...I'd quite like it if it happened again, to be honest."

Catching her chin between his thumb and forefinger, Neville pulled her face up to look at him. He was excited to see hints of hope beneath the fear and concern in her brown eyes. Dipping his head down, he caught her mouth with his, pressing a sweet kiss to her, just savoring the moment. When he pulled away, he let a smile cross his face. "Good, because, that's what I'd like too."

Hermione blushed prettily, obviously not used to such intense scrutiny. While he was this close, Neville thought he could see each and every freckle that dusted her nose. Then, her expression turned a bit dark. "I'm not sure yet...if I want a relationship right now, Neville." She remembered how much she hated seeing happy couples before she came to Fiji, and she was a bit concerned that this was just a symptom of proximity.

He looked contemplative, before pushing a bit of hair out of her face. "Well, we're here for one more week. Let's just see how it goes, and then...make those kind of decisions later." It wasn't ideal, but Neville knew then that he had a few more days to get Hermione to see reason and agree to be his girlfriend.

She beamed up at him brightly, clearly happy with that option. "Yes, I think that would be a smart choice." She agreed, before being pulled up onto Neville's chest, squealing. "What are you doing?"

"Well, I seem to remember you saying something about wanting to do _that_ again." He said, a confident look on his face. "No time like the present?"

Dissolving into a fit of giggles, Hermione happily agreed, rolling her hips against his morning erection. "I concur."

* * *

The next week on their little slice of paradise was spent entirely together, even when Neville had so be pulled away from Hermione's lips to do a bit of work. They'd gone back to the rainforest to retrieved the orchid that he'd left behind. The cutting that he took was doing quite nicely in the little pot, and whenever Neville took notes, he took them on the couch so that Hermione could drape her legs over his and read a book, in constant contact.

They still had plenty of time to spend with one another. Hermione had actually gotten a sailboat rental, and they'd spent the day out on the water together, enjoying the sun and the large waves. To Hermione's amusement, Neville wasn't much of a sailor, and with his height, he had a bit of trouble with the boom, once even knocked over into the water by the sail when he forgot to duck. Hermione had been worried, only to see him pop back up out of the water. Then she couldn't help but laugh when she turned the boat around to save him for a change.

They'd done a bit more swimming too, Hermione having revealed to Neville that she'd spied on him while he went skinny-dipping that first day. Neville, naturally, insisted that she returned the favor, enjoying the sight of her lush bare skin gleaming the sunlight while floated on her back in the ocean, not an inch of her covered.

Dinners at the resort had become commonplace and with their lovey-dovey attitudes, the staff were even more convinced that the pair were newlyweds on their honeymoon, though Neville for the life of him could not figure out what had given them that idea. Still, as Hermione said, he wasn't about to turn away free champagne.

And of course, they spent a lot of their time between the sheets. Or in the shower. Or on the kitchen table. Or on the deck. Or in the ocean (which was a much trickier endeavor than either one had considered). While their relationship was so new, the pair of them just couldn't seem to keep their hands off one another. Their mouths either.

It was all incredibly romantic, and Hermione frequently found herself realizing that this is what she'd been missing with all those other guys. He wasn't courting her just to get into her knickers. Neville did things for her because he wanted to make her happy. Sex was just a happy side effect of that.

This was real romance.

* * *

The week that they had remaining in Fiji came to an end much faster than either of them wanted to admit. It had Hermione dragging her feet in packing up her luggage, preferring to do it the muggle way, as though missing the portkey would prevent them from going home.

She'd had such a wonderful time with Neville, and she didn't want anything to change, but she knew that she had to get back to reality. Mountains of paperwork were likely waiting for her at the Ministry, and she knew Neville was going to busy working on his mastery when he returned to Hogwarts.

They hadn't spoken again about the state of their relationship since that first morning, and she thought that Neville was avoiding bringing it up. She was a bit worried that he had changed his mind, and decided that a fun week filled with steamy sex was all that he wanted.

By the time they found themselves waiting in the international portkey office with some time to kill, Hermione found herself fighting tears in her eyes from the thought of them going their separate ways. Neville kept looking at her with what she assumed was pity over getting so attached to him so fast.

Finally, he spoke. "Listen, Hermione, I think we should talk about our relationship before we leave for London." He watched as she subconsciously stiffened, obviously prepared to get hurt. "These last two weeks have been the most fun I've had in years, and well...I don't want to stop."

Hermione looked up at him confused. "I don't understand." As phenomenal as the sex was, she didn't know if she could continue being friends with benefits with Neville. She'd already become too attached in only two weeks.

"Well," Neville started, gathering all of his Gryffindor courage. "I was wondering if you'd like to be my girlfriend? You know, officially." He waited with baited breath for her response.

* * *

Ron had needed to call in quite a few favors to get this reservation, because he'd waited way too long to make it, but after cajoling and autographing multiple brooms, the owner had relented and put another table on the floor for just him and Lavender.

He hoped the flashy restaurant was enough to distract his Valentine's date to end in a very enjoyable round of "dessert" at his flat. He knew that Lavender was pushing really hard for an engagement ring, but as much as he led her along, he certainly wasn't ready to get married just yet. Maybe in a year or two. His mum was pushing him too, but, he had other plans.

Walking into the swanky restaurant, he expected every guy's attention to be on Lavender, her hips swaying while wearing sky high heels. But, to his dismay, it seemed like other people were focused on a different couple, seated not far from where they would be.

Ron craned his neck, wanting to see who it was. To his surprise, he located Hermione, her hair resting around her shoulders in neat waves, her skin sun kissed. That was when he remembered that she'd just gotten back from Fiji, a trip she'd gone on with Neville. She was wearing an _incredibly_ sexy dress, with no back, and it gleamed like shimmering gold against her skin. It helped her stand out from the sea of red.

He walked towards their table, Lavender a bit annoyed on his arm, like a mouth to flame. He wondered who would possibly have taken _Hermione_ to a restaurant like this. It was well known that Hermione didn't put out on first dates, he'd heard it from enough disappointed guys in their year. Also, Hermione didn't really go for romance, and Valentine's Day was pretty much the pinnacle of that.

Feeling a sigh of relief leave him, he saw that it was just Neville Longbottom, looking just as spiffy as Hermione did. Ron was surprising that his tall former roommate cleaned up quite so well. "Hermione, Neville!" He greeted warming. "A bit of a surprise to run into you two here."

Hermione smiled. "Hello Ronald. Lavender, you look lovely tonight." She complimented, demurely, no longer annoyed with the girl's romantic ambitions. She had her own after all.

"So what are you doing here? Are you guys out as like...single friends or something?" Ron asked, clearly unaware that there could be any other reason for the two of them to be out. Hermione really dressed herself up though. "Though, Mione, I think usually you do something with a single girlfriend." He thought it was important to educate her on this.

"Or maybe, Hermione is thanking Neville for taking her to an island paradise." Lavender whined, clearly upset that she wasn't whisked halfway across the globe for a vacation.

"Actually, Ron, Hermione and I are on a date." Neville said, a smile focused solely on Hermione's face, and his hand resting on her's.

"Mate, just a warning, I heard that she doesn't really put out." Ron said quietly, though the four of them could hear it. He heard Hermione's shocked gasp. "And our Mione isn't really the dating type."

Hermione cleared her throat. "If you must know, Ronald, I actually _am_ the dating type. Neville and I are actually celebrating our one month anniversary." She bit her lip, looking at Neville, knowing that she planned on putting out that very night if her sexy lace knickers were anything to go by. "And...I'd say Neville is quite _pleased_ with our level of intimacy."

"Extremely." Neville smirked, looking up at Ron who was gaping like a fish. His girlfriend could be quite devious when she wanted.

Lavender, sensing that this conversation was over, tugged on Ron's arm. "Come on, Ron. Let's go to our table now and leave these two to their date." Ron nodded glumly, following his own annoyed girlfriend.

Neville and Hermione erupted in laughter when the pair left. Hermione had never been more happy that she'd pushed herself and taken a chance on Neville, on romance. It was a decision that she'd never regret.


End file.
